Fukushima Water Release Approved

JAPAN – Japan won approval from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog for its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean.

It comes despite fierce resistance from China and some local residents.

Japan’s government maintains the process is safe, insisting it will act with transparency, and saying it has treated the water used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant after it was damaged by the 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami.

Japan hasn’t specified a date to start the release of the water – enough to fill 500 olympic-sized swimming pools.